Repairing jeans: How to patch holes in trousers

Secure the patch on the fabric with pins or safety pins.

With a small patch you can skip pinning and stitch the patch on directly with a sashiko stitch. First tie a knot in the end of the thread by wrapping the thread end around the needle several times. Then hold the wrapped part and slide it over the needle to the end of the thread.

Thread the needle. I use a needle threader for this, because it's much easier with thicker threads. Here's how it works: first push the loop of the needle threader through the eye of the needle.

Now push the needle from the back of the fabric through the fabric and through the pressed-over seam allowance of the patch. The needle should come out about 1 - 2 mm from the edge of the fabric

Once you have sewn all the way around the patch, secure the thread on the back.

If you feel like getting even more creative, you can add a few decorative stitches around the patch. Not only does it look great, it also stabilises the fabric.

Secure the patch on the wrong side of the fabric, so that the right side of the patch shows through the holes.

Of course you could now simply secure the patch all the way round with the sewing machine, as in the example above. Many machines have fun patchwork stitches, for example, which make the seam look a little irregular and "hand-sewn".

For this, it's enough to simply press the edges of the patch over all the way round and then topstitch it on. It's best to try out beforehand exactly where the seam will run and where the needle needs to go in so that everything looks the way you want it to.

This version could then look like this, for example:

Now sew along these lines using the sashiko method by stitching the needle up and down through the fabric. Make sure not to catch the back of the trousers, otherwise you'll sew the trouser leg shut. :)

You can help yourself by sliding a book or a wooden board (a breakfast board works too) into the trouser leg. This gives you a firm surface to work on nicely.

And now simply weave the needle through the fabric at even intervals.

The patch is simply sewn in along with it and nicely secured that way.

And this is how it looks from the right side:

It's best to try out your machine's darning stitch on a fabric scrap first. Many machines start at the front left and sew the programme through to the back left. This is important to know so you start the darning stitch in the right place.

Place a piece of denim underneath the tear and let the darning programme run over the fabric from the right side until the fabric is completely stitched over.

How can I repair destroyed jeans?

Repairing ripped jeans is another topic where you can put the techniques shown here to perfect use. If you want to repair frayed jeans, it may be that the cotton threads are destroyed but the elastane threads are still intact. That then looks like the photo above. In that case it's worth cutting through the elastane threads so the jeans don't pucker in that spot.

You'll need these supplies:

• Sashiko needles
• Sashiko thread
• Fabric scraps
• Scissors
• Embroidery hoop

My tip: If, like me, you want to upcycle your clothes with pretty patches more often from now on, you should get yourself some good-quality sashiko needles with matching thread. Sashiko thread comes in just a few, but beautiful, colourways (white, natural white, black, indigo, red, sometimes also with a colour gradient). It is very tightly twisted and very durable.

Sashiko needles are perfect for this thread – if you've only worked with "normal" embroidery needles before, you may be amazed at how wonderfully easy it is to work with sashiko needles.

In this version we stretch the trousers over the embroidery hoop.

To stop the fabric edge from fraying even more, we now fold it about 1 cm to the inside and sew it down with sashiko stitches again.

And if you feel like it, you can not only patch the hole in the jeans but also sew a few pretty decorative stitches:

For me this is the method of choice, because often not just a small spot but also the surrounding fabric is affected. First place a piece of denim or another sturdy fabric underneath the worn spot from the wrong side.

If the trousers need sewing between the legs, you can usually reach the spot with the sewing machine very easily. With trouser legs, things are a little different.

Once the patch is where it should be, simply let the darning programme run over the affected area as many times as needed until everything is nicely and sturdily mended.

Afterwards you can trim the patch back to just before the stitching so it isn't bulky.

That way you have not only repaired the worn spot but the whole area, and reinforced it for the long term.

You'll need these materials:

• Cotton fabric in your favourite colour
• Ruler
• Seam ripper
• Sewing machine
• Pins
• Iron

Grab the trousers you want to lengthen and unpick the hem. Using a seam ripper makes this really easy.

Then press the trousers.

This is what it should look like now:

Slip the pattern pieces over the trouser hem right sides together, so that all edges are flush with each other.

I simply use a regular straight stitch with a 2.5 mm stitch length for this.

This is what it should look like now:

Fold the finished edge 1 centimetre to the wrong side.

Then turn the trousers wrong side out.

Pin everything securely. Ideally in a way that the pins don't get in the way while sewing. :)

Then also stitch down the top edge with a straight stitch. The seam should run just next to the fold.

Press everything well and repeat these steps for the second trouser leg.